Frozen
by Angel Dove1
Summary: -dedicated to my mother- Squad Eight thought it was a simple protection mission, but when a group of men killed all the infrantrymen but Cloud, would Zack and Sephiroth make it to save Cloud before the group kill him. Torture, Violence, M/M
1. Chapter 1

This story is in honor of my mother who passed away when I was in the middle of it. It took me forever to be able to move the story further, but after I got going it didn't seem to stop. I hope it flows nicely from the point where I stopped when she got sick and where I started back up again. Thank you all for your patience. I don't see myself publish much stories anymore, but I'm happy to know that I'm not so depressed that I lost the will to write. This was my only outlet from the stresses of my life. Well enough about me let's get this story rolling.

Warnings: Violence

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Chapter One

Snow blew about, covering every inch of the mountain and the small wooden cabin in the center of the trees. A small group of infantrymen stood surrounded the cabin. Each doing some sort of dance to keep themselves warm. They were sent from Shinra to protect this outpost from recent bandit and monster activity. Every fifteen minutes one of the men in the cabin would replace one standing outside. All except for the smallest one leaning against a tree on the back side of the cabin. Unlike all the others, he was not moving around to keep himself warm. "Strife!" a deep voice shouted from the back door. "Come in here now for your fifteen and stop being so foolish."

Cloud shrugged and pushed himself off the tree to follow the dark haired man inside. The cabin was warm with the quiet crackle of fire eliminating the first floor. He propped his gun against the fireplace and used the heat to warm his fingers. Being in the cold never bothered the young man, nor did it bother him that the other men "accidentally" forgot to relieve him. He knew that he was an outcast. He knew that the other infantrymen were finding some way to get him to leave, but Cloud refused to give them what they hoped for. Cloud was going to become SOLDIER one way or the other. He had a hero that he admired. Someone he drove to be like. The very general that ordered his squad to this frozen tundra. General Sephiroth. The white haired warrior stood tall and gave off an air of confidence wherever he was. He was capable of holding his ground in tough situations. Something that Cloud was attempting to succeed at one day. Until then, the closet Cloud could get to SOLDIER was talking to his good friend Zack.

Zack was different from all the other SOLDIERs. He laughed and played pranks. If he wasn't on a mission, he was visiting the training centers. Zack and Cloud constantly sparred together, using wooden swords only because Zack feared he'd hurt Cloud by accident with a real one.

Cloud smiled as he sat back against the soft couch. It pleased him to have his first friend. There wasn't too many children his age in Nibelheim, except for Tifa. Even though they talked all the time and went places together, Cloud could never figure out why he couldn't call her his friend. He liked Tifa, found her interesting, but Zack was different. Zack always asked him about his day and wondered what techniques they taught him. He even offered to help Cloud train and practice. Meanwhile Tifa always talked about herself and never asked about his day.

Cloud glanced at the clock, noticing he had another minute before he returned to the cold. He couldn't believe he spent the whole fifteen minutes reminiscing on his past and thinking about Zack like an obsessed lover. Did he think of Zack that way? Cloud shook his head and gathered his equipment. He never was attracted to girls or boys. He was confused and didn't know what he felt. Maybe it was brotherly love. Returning to the cold, he motioned for the next man to go in before taking his spot. He felt butterflies in his stomach every time he saw Zack smile. The thought worried him, and he knew he didn't stand a chance against the womanizer, nor did he even think Zack would like him the same if he knew. Zack was clearly straight and wouldn't think of him that way, would he? Did he honestly want Zack as a lover? Was that what he was feeling?

A twig snapping drove all thoughts from his mind as he glanced towards the sound and moved his gun to the ready position. The other two men around him mimicked his motions, confirming that he wasn't the only one to hear the noise. The darkness around made them rely mostly on their other senses. Suddenly an arrow flew out of nowhere, piercing the man to Cloud's right through the throat. The man gurgled on his blood before collapsing on the ground, melting the snow with his blood. "Attack!" Cloud shouted as the men on the other side ran over to help them. The only SOLDIER in their group came around the back, using his mako eyes, he spotted two men in the trees.

"Up in the trees, three o'clock. Fire!"

All the men including Cloud fired at the tree. A body fell, but the other man managed to shoot another arrow, killing another man through the eyeball. This scared some of the men as the began to shoot randomly. "Men, focus! Aim for the tree at ten o'clock towards the top." Cloud calmed his nerves and fired directly where his superior instructed. There was a large bang before another body fell. The firing ceased as all men held their breathes.

The SOLDIER looked around at all the trees convinced that there had to be more. Suddenly out of nowhere, a dagger flew through the men, stabbing the SOLDIER right through the heart. Cloud stared in shock as the event moved in slow motion. Their superior fell backwards. His eyes hollow no longer seeing the area around him. Blood soaked his uniform and the area around him. The men screamed around Cloud. "What do we do? They took out a SOLDIER."

"I knew this was too much for infantrymen. They sent us to be slaughtered!" The shouts surrounded Cloud shocked him. Would Shinra really do that to their army? Another arrow took another man down. Was there no hope for the squad? Arrow after arrow struck the men as they ran for the cabin. Was this the end? No! Cloud wasn't going to die here. He was going to become SOLDIER!

He didn't know how he did it, but his body moved on its own. He dodged the arrow that was intent on killing him. Aiming his weapon, he shot randomly at the tops of the trees, judging by the angle of the arrows. The people shooting was at the top. He made his way quickly through the snow and fallen members of his squad until he reached the cabin door. Slamming it shut and shoving the first solid object against it, Cloud crawled his way under the exploding windows until he reached the radio. He knew deep down that he wasn't surviving this. The least he could do was to warn Shinra about the bandits being assassins. There was no other explanation to how accurate these people were. He managed to get to the radio and turn it on before the door exploded, igniting in fire. "Squad Eight to Central Command," Cloud spoke rapidly. There was nothing but static. He tried again, repeating what he said as two figures walked into the cabin. "Squad Eight to Central Command. If you read this..." Cloud stopped for a second and breathed. "Don't send back up. The squad was completely destroyed by the suppose bandits. They are..." One of the large armored men slammed his fist into Cloud's stomach. He gasped and spat the bile and blood mixture that rose. His vision was failing and he could barely make out the sound of the radio falling.

"Do you think he knows?"

"He knew enough on how to contact them." Cloud stared up at the two through his blurry vision. "Plus he's the only one left alive." Cloud's vision darkened, and he fell into the unconscious world not knowing when or if he'll wake up or even if Shinra received his transmission

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Zack stood in the hallway directly outside of the materia training room. He was patiently awaiting his turn as he did his squats. He couldn't help but wonder when Cloud would return from his mission. He wasn't really concerned, considering that they were just handling simple bandits or small creatures. Or was he concerned? Zack stopped and looked down the hallway. Something was making him uneasy. The elevator door slid open, revealing a tall long silver haired man. Zack stood and saluted the new comer. "General, sir."

"Commander Fair, if you would please follow me," Sephiroth whispered, walking passed the raven haired gentleman and into the other elevator on the opposite side. They didn't speak until the door to Sephiroth's office was firmly shut. "We received a radio transmission from Squad Eight a few minutes ago."

"Cloud's group! Is he okay?"

Sephiroth sighed. "We don't have much time. Calm down and listen. The transmission told us not to send backup and cut off before the person could say this reason why. You and I are going to investigate. It'll be a lot easier if it was just the two of us. I was going to select a different SOLDIER not close to any of those men, but I figured you'd recklessly follow after you found out. I have no time to deal with your heroic nature; however, you follow my orders completely. Understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Ready yourself and met me on the roof. Reno will fly us as close as possible without being detected. Dismissed."

Zack saluted him and turned to go. "Sir, could you identify the voice?"

The long haired general sighed before placing the paperwork lining his desk in a locked drawer. "Other infantryman in the unit identified it to be Cloud's voice. They're not one hundred percent sure."

"Understood, sir. Thank you." With speeds most men dreamt of, Zack flew to the elevator and took it down to his private apartment. Most of his supplies were always packed incase of emergencies. He quickly slid his key card through the latch on the door. He entered his spotless apartment and grabbed his pack of supplies, sitting by the door. He knew that there wasn't anything else he needed. Fear that Cloud was dead plagued his thoughts. He knew that Cloud was skilled, but how long could he hold up against a force that killed all the men including the SOLDIERs that they sent to lead them.

Zack sighed and shuffled the small bag on his shoulder and grabbed a warm jacket even though he was used to the cold environment, he wanted to ensure that he'll have enough time to search for his missing friend, without feeling frostbite or fatigue taking over his body. He walked towards the elevator and inserted his card to travel to the roof. He wasn't a fan of Reno's, but if the man was going to get them there with no hassle then who was he to say anything. The fact that Sephiroth trusted him was enough for Zack not to argue with the man.

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Cloud shifted and stirred. His mind barely registered that he wasn't awakening in his warm bed at the lodge. He opened his eyes and all he see was darkness. He attempted to move his arm up to remove whatever was blinding his vision, but his wrists wouldn't move. Stricken with fear, he thought all bodily motions were paralyzed. The cold air nipped at his skin. His mouth was dried. He feared that whatever happened after he was knocked unconscious left him paralyzed and blind. Wetting his dried lips, Cloud tried his voice. "Hello. Is anyone there?" His voice sounded hoarse. He coughed feeling like something was stuck in his throat.

No one answered him. The world around him became more and more in focus even without his eyes. He realized that he was sitting in a hard, steel like chair. His legs and arms were strapped firmly to it, leaving him only with his fingers and toes to move. He was shivering from the cold. His mind began to work and concluded that he was taken hostage. Confused on why these men would take a simple infantryman hostage, Cloud closed his eyes and tried to listened for any noise. They wanted something from him, and he couldn't recall anything that they would want to know.

He sighed and awaited his fate. Deep down inside he knew that he would more likely not be making it out alive, but he held some hope that someone would notice him missing even though he told Central Command not to come. Everything felt lost, and he bowed his head. Subtle footsteps caught his ears. Someone was coming. He wondered if this would be the end of his life, but he knew that if they wanted to kill him, he'd already be dead. A door creaked to the left of the room, announcing the presence of another person. The person said nothing but moved quietly through the room.

Cloud slowed his breathing, disguising that he was awake. Unfortunately that didn't fool the person. Cloud was struck across the face by a strong, gloved hand. "Stop trying to fake sleeping," a deep male voice hissed. A chair was pulled from somewhere, and the man sat in front of Cloud. "I'm going to ask you a few questions, and you're going to answer them. If you don't answer or I feel that you're lying," the man paused, "Well let's say you don't want to know what I'll do to you." Cloud attempted to slow his breathing more. Fear ran through his veins. The hope of making it out alive vanished. He knew that once they had the intelligence they needed, they would kill him. He frowned. He never got to tell Zack how he truly felt. He never got to meet the man he idealized, Sephiroth. He wondered if Shinra would find his body and ship it back to his grief stricken mother. Would they deem him a failure or an honorable death?

Pain shocked Cloud from his thoughts as the mysterious man bent back one of his fingers. He screamed in agony before hearing that sickening crack. Cloud breathed deeply, tears soaked the blindfold. "I'm going to ask again. Why was Shinra there?" Trying to get his bearings, Cloud didn't even realized the man asked him a question.

He felt fingers wrapped around one of his other fingers. "I don't know. They never explain anything to infantrymen," he answered quickly, trying his first lie. The fingers remained in the same place for a few seconds before they were moved.

"If you were just an infantryman, how did you know to go for the radio? How did you manage to kill my men?" The hand went for his fingers again.

"They taught as how to use it. I got lucky with killing your men. I was following orders. I'm sorry," Cloud added quickly, hoping to say the right words. Pain soared through Cloud's body as something stabbed him right through the shoulder. More tears soaked the cloth covering his eyes. He didn't understand why the man stabbed him. He answered that one honestly.

"That's something for you to think about." The man walked away from Cloud, leaving him bleeding with the knife still in his shoulder. Cloud's breathing was heavy as he attempted to ignore the pain cascading through his body. His felt lightheaded, and his consciousness rocked back and forth. He knew the man didn't stab any vital organ, but the blood flowed quickly. His body relaxed, and he fell into the unconscious world completely unaware of the poison seeping into his body nor the camera watching him.

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Chapter one done. I'm going to move to the next one. I have the whole story written but I'm editing it because my mind went one direction in the beginning and another direction at the end. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter up tomorrow. Thank you for reading. Please review.

Angel Dove


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you all for your kind reviews. This is still a little new. I don't write too many army fics. Well it wasn't too bad changed some of the lines in this chapter to match last chapter. What happened was I was following and old outline and managed to forget that I changed a few things while I was writing the first chapter. But, that's what I get for not re-reading the first chapter before I started this one. Anyway it should all be fixed now and hopefully not confusion anyone. Anyway let's get moving.

Warnings: Torture

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Chapter Two

Cloud's mind swam through a swamp of murkiness. His body was on fire and sweat poured from every pore. He felt sick to his stomach and could vomit any second. It made him feel worse, knowing that he couldn't turn his body far enough to avoid vomiting all over himself. He swallowed the bile and the lump in his throat as best as he could. He shivered and attempted to move for the countless time after regaining consciousness. His shoulder still throbbed, but he felt no blood exiting the wound. He dreaded when they would remove it. He wished for death first. The pain that he was in became too much for him. No hope remained in his mind. This must be the slow death he heard some of the other soldiers talk about. Many men died in Shinra. His fellow bunkers always prayed that when they died it would be a quick one. No one wanted to be tortured slowly to death.

The door creaked opened followed by a metal chair being pulled across the room. "You lied to me," the same voice as before hissed. His voice echoed in Cloud's mind as he tried to focus on it. "You were told about a disturbance. Your men were ordered to protect the cabin from what?"

Cloud's head tilted back as far as it could. He couldn't focus too long, and it didn't matter that the man found out that he really knew. "Monsters and bandits," he mumbled, not planning on lying anymore.

"Correct. And what were you trying to tell your command?"

His mind shut down as another wave of nausea crept up his throat. He screamed in pain as the man cruelly ripped the knife from his shoulder. New blood flowed down his arm and tears soaked the cloth. The world spun behind the darkness. He could barely focus or speak from the intense pain. "That you weren't bandits," Cloud finally whispered through the pain. He shivered more, and his skin burned. "I told them not to come."

The man pulled Cloud's hair until his neck was touching the back of his chair. "Is that why two first class SOLDIERs showed up this morning?" The shackles around Cloud's body were released, but he couldn't move. The man kept a firm grip on his hair, pulling him until Cloud stood up. Suddenly it clicked in what the man said. Two first class SOLDIERs? Shinra sent someone when he told them not to. Was the company concerned about these assassins finding something? What hadn't he been informed of? He was shoved against the nearby wall. It was cold as if they were in a cave, but not damp. The ground felt like ice and that was the first time he noticed that he was bare foot. "I told you that you didn't want to lie to me. Now I have to punish you. Then we'll try again with the questions."

The man let go of Cloud's hair long enough to tug the soldier's arms above his head and shackled them. The man sliced open the back of his sweat coated shirt. The cold air slapped across his heated flesh. He slouched, barely able to stand on his own. Whatever was making him sick intensified with the cold air. Suddenly there was stinging pain against Cloud's back. He could barely register what it was until another hit and another one. Realizing that a whip was striking his skin, pain fought its way through Cloud's muddy mind. He screamed in agony as he became more and more aware. He tried to move away from the pain, but it continued for what felt like hours.

When the man finally stopped, the bleeding wounds mixed with his salty sweat, keeping the pain from easing. "We'll try again in a few hours," the man whispered, leaving Cloud hanging against the freezing wall. Every shiver made the wounds feel like deep cuts. He could feel sweat or blood or both rolling down his back and absorbed into his pants. His back throbbed from the pain. Cloud leaned his head against the wall. He became absorbed in his thoughts, focusing as much as he could on their conversation to block the pain. None of it made sense. He knew that he called Central Command. They had to have gotten the message. He didn't want anyone else to die in the senseless massacre. Everything was pointing to the fact that something was hidden in the log cabin that was vital to Shinra. His emotions rocked between anger that Shinra would send simple men to protect that log cabin that was obviously targeted by more than bandits to fear of dying for a useless cause.

He thought about the first class SOLDIERs that would have been selected for that mission. He wondered how long it would take them to notice that he was missing. He felt jealous of the men who died right there. Their bodies would be escorted back to their families and buried with honor. His stomach gave out, and he vomited all over the ground in front of him. His throat burned from the bile. He knew he had nothing left in his stomach. He wondered how many days have passed, where he was, and how many men guarded his location. How long would he be forced to live in pain before the end? What were they looking for? What was Shinra hiding? How long would it take them to notice that Cloud didn't have the answers. Feeling disgusted now that he stood in freezing vomit, Cloud tried to think of nothing, but his restless mind refused to let him escape in the wonderful painless bliss he craved. Instead he was forced to feel his body shiver from the obvious fever he had. Force to feel the stinging as more sweat mixed with his wounds. He didn't know how long he hung there before his body finally conceded with his mind and dropped him into unconsciousness.

His kidnappers stared at the screen, watching the blond soldier's movements. "I don't think he knows anything. If he did, he'd run for the hiding place instead of the radio."

"I don't know. There's something with this kid. How did he manage to shot one of my men in the head and the other in his heart? He was far away and shooting at trees. He can't be that lucky."

"Are you sure it was him and not the SOLDIER?"

"Yes, we took the SOLDIER out first. He didn't have a chance of shoot at us. The other soldiers didn't even get close to killing my men, but that asshole was dead on. How much longer until that poison kills him?"

The shorter man stared at the screen. "Twenty-four hours at the most. You better get the information out of him quickly. I just wish you wouldn't have stabbed him so early."

The man shrugged. "Call me when he wakes. I'm going to see which SOLDIERs they sent." The taller man exited the room and vanished through the caves until he made it out on the mountainside. He knelt down in the snow, ignoring the freezing temperatures. He could see subtly movements of two figures through the snow, but was unable to see them clearly. They haven't reached the cabin yet. He had a few minutes before he was able to pinpoint who they were. He climbed further down the mountain and awaited their arrival.

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Zack sneezed for the third time since starting up the mountain. He was used to the cold, but something about this weather was making it worse. The wind constantly blew snow and cold air around. He shivered as he continued up the hidden path directly behind Sephiroth. The taller general didn't show any signs of the cold bothering him. He wore a warmer outfit than his usual black leather pants and bare chest except for the leather straps and jacket. His long sword made it's own path through the one foot snow. He never understood why Sephiroth wouldn't latch the huge sword to his back. It had to feel uncomfortable with him constantly holding it on one side. He shrugged and walked to the right side of the taller man. As much as he wanted to take his time climbing the hill, he didn't dare follow the sword.

The cabin came into view as the two SOLDIERs crept behind a few trees. The sight was sickening. Dark blood soaked the snow as countless bodies lied in it. Zack wanted to run to the men, but he knew that the enemy could have laid traps. Glancing around, he didn't see any signs of disturbances other than the footprints made by the soldiers. Sephiroth took a few steps forward, shifting his gaze to the trees. He saw no one lying in wait nor any traps. Nodding to Zack, he moved carefully through the area. Zack approached the first man and flipped him over. An arrow stuck out of the man's chest. He took the helmet off and notice burnet hair instead of the blond he was looking for. He moved to the next one and the next one still not finding Cloud. "Zack," Sephiroth's voice whispered. "He wouldn't be outside if he made it to the radio. Leave the men for now, we need to get inside."

Zack moved away from the soldier that was shot three times with an arrow. He knew Sephiroth was right, but couldn't help himself from looking. He wanted to find Cloud, but didn't want him to be one of the motionless bodies that lined the area. Zack followed Sephiroth through the burnt hole in the cabin. The inside was trashed. Furniture was broken and papers blew about the room and settled in random places. Zack moved everything in the room, trying to find anyone, but there was no one. Sephiroth walked through the first room and into the next. He didn't bother to look for any causalities. Zack ignored him and pushed the couch back on its legs. He found the radio, looking it over, it didn't have any damage. It made no sense that they would kill everyone and destroy everything in the cabin but the radio. It looked as if they were searching for something.

Sephiroth returned a moment later carrying a black box. His black jacket was dusty as if he was digging in something. "They didn't find what they were looking for."

"What is that?" Zack placed the radio down and approached his superior.

"Classified info."

"Was that what this army was protecting?" Zack growled. He couldn't believe Shinra would send rookies to protect something that they knew nothing about.

"Zack, it wasn't my idea. They thought it was bandits. They weren't going to risk the Turks or SOLDIERs over something like that."

"So they sent kids in and sacrificed them!"

"Calm down. I had nothing to do with this decision. Did you find any signs of Cloud?"

Zack shook his head. "The radio isn't damaged. I'm going search outside."

Sephiroth nodded and let him go. He knew that Zack wouldn't settle until he found Cloud. He felt bad that all those men died, but his decision was overruled by the president. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small silver keycard and unlocked the box. He put the papers into his inner pocket of his jacket, making sure that no one saw him do it. He picked the radio up and glanced at it. Out of everything that was damaged in the cabin, the radio was left alone. He flipped open his phone and dialed Tseng's number. "Package is secure. Everyone is dead. No, Zack hasn't found him yet. The radio isn't damaged. Something isn't adding up."

"Sephiroth, Cloud isn't here. I checked every body."

Sephiroth glanced at Zack. "Hold on, Tseng. What did you say?" He pulled the phone away from his ear.

"Cloud isn't here. I checked in the trees around the area. What if they took him to get information out of him?"

"Why would they kidnap him? They killed the only SOLDIER here and took an infantryman. That doesn't make any sense." Sephiroth put the phone up to his ear again. "Tseng, turn the tracking device on Cadet Strife's phone. I need his location. Yeah, call me back with the answer."

"Maybe they mistaken him for SOLDIER, considering that he was probably the last one left alive. I don't know what they wanted. This isn't making any sense."

"I agree. We'll wait for Tseng's call before we start searching for him. If they did take him, I don't know what information they could possibly get. He didn't know about the info. None of them did. You have to be prepared that once they conclude that Cloud is the wrong person, they will kill him."

"I know, but he's only been missing for less than a day. We still have a chance if we can figure out where they would be hiding. I don't want to call him dead until I see his breathless body. I'm going to save him."

Sephiroth sighed just as his phone rang. "You did. How far away? I understand. Send Reno up to retrieve the package. We're going after him." He hung the phone up and looked back at Zack. "Make yourself comfortable for now. We're going to wait on Reno to take this back to Shinra. Then we'll go after Cloud. His phone is about two miles north of here, but that could mean anything."

Zack huffed before sitting down on the couch. He was antsy to leave and didn't want to wait for the red-head pilot, but he knew that if these people were able to kill an entire army then one SOLDIER didn't stand a chance against them. He only hoped that they could catch the assassins by surprise and save Cloud. Of course, there were the chances that Cloud's body was two miles away. Either way his mind wasn't allowing himself to sit quietly. He rose and moved about the room. Picking up the papers and throwing them in the fireplace before lighting it on fire. The room instantly heated even with the cold air blowing through the huge hole in the side of the cabin. He moved around the room, picking up blankets and other things that they may need if Cloud was barely alive. He didn't want to risk the young soldier's life by not having anything ready.

Sephiroth watched Zack. He knew the younger man cared for everyone, but something about Cloud and Zack's relationship was different. He would always see them together either hanging out and talking or training. They were always together except for when they were out on missions or in classes. He knew that Zack wouldn't react well if they found Cloud dead. All facts were against Cloud. There was no reason for the group of assassins to keep him alive, but he let his subordinate to set the room up for Cloud's return. He was surprised that Zack didn't even suggest that he start out ahead of Sephiroth. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Reno wouldn't be there for another half hour to hour. Even though he was on stand by not to far from the cabin, it was long hike through the forest for SOLDIERs with their advance structure. He could only imagine the swear words and complaints coming from Reno when the Turk arrived. Sephiroth stared at the fireplace watching the crackling flames. "For Zack's sake, I hope you keep fighting, Cloud," he thought, taking one last glance at the raven haired man before he continued to watch the fire burning away.

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There you have chapter two. I'm working on three now. Thank you for reading please review.

Angel Dove


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for your kind reviews. I'm glad you are sticking with me and enjoying this fic. It's not as dark as my other ones, but it wasn't suppose to be extremely dark. Without further delay, let's get this chapter rolling.

Warnings: Violence and Yaoi (Male on Male) If you don't like it please don't read.

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Chapter Three

Zack walked ahead of Sephiroth hoping to find Cloud as fast as possible. His patience was down and his temper was up. Reno rattled what little control he had, constantly complaining about the cold and having to walk all the way up to the cabin just to get some "stupid" papers and take it back to the helicopter and wait for them. The red-head was furious that one of them couldn't just bring it down to him. Sephiroth handled him mostly, but listening to the constant bitching was driving Zack crazy. He stared down at the snow looking for any sort of footprints that would indicate that Cloud was around there somewhere. When they first started out, there was footsteps to the end of the clearing where the trees began, but after that no footsteps showed that anyone made it further. He knew that Cloud wouldn't climb a tree to escape, indicating that someone was obviously hiding their tracks.

Zack stopped suddenly. there in the snow was what looked like a gun sticking out of it. He rushed forward and dug into the snow, finding the gun. Sephiroth approached behind him. "Is that Cloud's?"

Zack flipped the gun over and looked at the serial number on the handle. He nodded and instantly began to look around the area for a body or any other clues. He found more weapons and supplies as if the people that kidnapped him stripped him there. Zack glanced around the area and saw a mountain path through the snow. He grabbed all of Cloud's supplies and starting moving. "Sephiroth, I don't know how much longer we have until they kill him, but I want to retrieve him dead or alive."

The general smirked at the obvious demand. He barely pulled ranks on the SOLDIER, considering that he was the pupil of one of his best friends. He understood what it felt like for a friend to be in danger. The irrational thinking and the head strong attitude. He conceded to Zack's demand and knew that there was no convincing him to think otherwise. In fact, Sephiroth himself was a bit curious on why they took an infantryman. He followed the antsy man through the snow and up the mountain path. It seemed strange that the group wouldn't move further away from the area unless they weren't expecting Shinra to retaliate, or they were waiting for whatever information they could get out of Cloud. Either way, Sephiroth didn't feel comfortable with this situation.

He moved in front of Zack quickly and stopped him from starting up the pathway. "We need to take this rationally. We can't just walk in there with no plan. We don't want to risk Cloud's life if he's still alive."

Zack sighed, and his shoulder's dropped. He knew Sephiroth was right, but he couldn't stop himself from thinking about tearing those men limb from limb. They killed young men to get to whatever information that Shinra hid in the cabin and supposedly kidnapped another one to do who knows what with him. "What do you have planned?"

"Go slow and check every pathway and wall for any type of sensors. If they aren't expecting us we can get a surprise attack on them, but if they hear us coming, we won't be able to catch them. We need to prevent them from moving Cloud or killing him." Sephiroth pointing to the small black box behind a rock frozen in the snow. "That could be a sensor."

Zack knelt down and examined the box. "Looks like it's motion." Zack stood up and stepped over the box. He glanced around for a few seconds before moving up the path. "If it triggered than they know," Zack said, shrugging his shoulders and moving more carefully up the path. They didn't run into anymore sensors until the reach the mouth of the cave at the top.

Several traps were set to prevent anyone from coming in, but Sephiroth quickly dismantled them with his sword while Zack searched for more sensors. The cave was dark and cold, but neither one of those factors affected the SOLDIERs, they could see in the dark nearly as well as seeing in the light. They walked through the pathways, turning in different directions and retracting their steps every now and then. They ran into dead ends and craters with no way of crossing the area. After several hours of walking through the maze, they found themselves in a lighted passageway.

The area was slightly more warmer with the lights shining off the walls. A few steel doors lined the cavern, but neither Sephiroth nor Zack tried any door. Zack pressed his ear against one of the doors and heard nothing, not even subtle movements or breathing. Shaking his head, the raven haired man moved forward. They checked three doors before hearing a loud scream coming from further down the hallway. Sephiroth instantly grabbed Zack's shoulder, holding him firm, knowing that the younger man would take off down the hallway to the obvious person in distress.

Zack clenched his fist around the hilt of his sword. He was delighted to know that Cloud was still alive, but he hated what they must have been doing to the blond for almost a day now. The door opened to the left of them, and a man walked out. His hands were covered in blood and didn't notice the two people at first. Zack growled and lifted his sword. Sephiroth knew that there was no stopping the man now. The burnet instantly jumped with the new sound and stared at the two SOLDIERs. He jumped back in time to avoid Zack's first strike. "Damon, a little help."

Another door opened further down the hallway, revealing a shorter man with a bow. He shot an arrow at Zack, quickly. The raven haired man barely had a chance to get out the way, but Sephiroth moved quickly and knocked the arrow out of the air. Zack moved his attention back to the man in front of him, knowing that Sephiroth would handle the other man. The guy continued to dodge Zack, unprepared for the intruders. He backed down the hallway until he reached the computer room. All their weapons were in there. He didn't expect anyway to be able to get through all their traps without setting off any alarms.

The man slipped on a bit of ice and landed hard on the ground. Zack took the advantage and stabbed the man right through the shoulder. "He better still be alive."

The man smirked. "You came all this way for the kid. I never expected Shinra to have such loyalty."

Zack twisted the sword. "Why did you take him?"

"Why would I tell you?" He smirked, obviously not showing any signs of pain.

Zack growled and pressed himself closer to the man. "I'll do to you what you did to him but worse if you don't."

The man laughed. "That won't make me talk like it did your obvious friend in there. Oh, the secrets he told me. Right now the delusions are taking over his senses. He thought I was his lover and told me everything that was locked up inside of his mind." The man smirked. "It's ashamed that you'd never know. If you hurry you may make it in time for him to breath his last."

Zack growled and sliced the man's head off with one quick motion. He glanced up at Sephiroth who didn't mimic him. He kept the man alive and pinned to the way. Without saying anything, Sephiroth nodded to him as Zack pulled open the door. The first thing that hit his senses was the intense blood smell. It made him sick thinking about how much of that was Cloud's. Lying on the ground was Cloud panting and sweating. Whatever they did to him was far beyond what he could heal with a simple cure.

He knelt down beside the blond and placed his hand on his forehead. He was burning from a strong fever, and his glazed eyes stared up at the ceiling. Zack removed what was left of Cloud's shirt and looked at the infected wound in his shoulder. The wound puss and bleed. "Sephiroth!" he shouted. Taking off his jacket, Zack wrapped it around the smaller man. His body was shivering from the cold sweat soaking his skin.

The silver haired man threw his captive in the room and walked over to Zack. "What is it?"

"I think he's been poisoned. He's sweating and shivering. There's a wound on his shoulder." Zack flipped Cloud over. "And lacerations on his back. I don't know if there's any damage anywhere else, but he doesn't look good. I only brought a cure with me. It would only heal the wounds not the poison in his system. Do you have anything?"

"No. Zack, can you carry him?"

"Of course."

"Run as fast as you can down the mountain and tell Reno to get you quickly back to Shinra. I'll take care of things here until Reno returns. Go, quickly."

Zack picked Cloud up and cradled him close to his chest, hoping that he could make it all the way to the hospital before Cloud's body gave out. "Stay with me, Cloud. Don't give up," Zack whispered before taking off through the cave. He didn't remember how he got down to the helicopter. He didn't recall if he slipped or tripped down the hill, nor what Reno said when he order him to fly back to Shinra. The first thing he remembered was sitting in the helicopter, watching the staggered rise and fall of Cloud's chest. The man looked like he could die at any second. He prayed that he wouldn't.

Cloud swam between reality and fantasy. He felt cold and hot, but nothing compared to the warmth he felt wrapped securely around his body. He wanted nothing but to fall into the ever faithful warmth and relax into that world. He was sitting on a soft couch in Zack's room. The raven haired SOLDIER stood in the small kitchen, fixing one of his famous hamburgers with all the fixings. Cloud laughed as he sang off tune to a song playing on the radio. He enjoyed his free time with Zack and his original hamburgers. Zack sat next to Cloud and handed him the plate with the hamburger as he turned the television on for their usual comedy show. His fantasy shifted as Zack wrapped his arm around Cloud's shoulder and pulled him close. Cloud stared up at the blue eyes that reflected his soul. Zack leaned down and kissed him gently, moving both of their hamburgers to the table in front of them. He deepened the kiss, running his fingers up and down the blond's arms.

Cloud smiled into the kiss, enjoying the sensation of shivers running through his body and the soft lips against his. The television and food remained forgotten as the two explored their bodies. Zack gently pushed Cloud down on the couch, straddling the younger man's hips. He slid his hand under Cloud's shirt pushing it up and removing it. He kissed Cloud's chest, licking around his nipples and naval. Cloud closed his eyes and arched his back into Zack's touch. He wanted more of that skilled tongue and those soft fingers.

Suddenly the world shifted, and his body was burning and wet with sweat. He felt extremely nauseous. Arms were wrapped around him, and he could smell fresh air and feel the cold wind blowing across his body. "Stay with me, Cloud," a voice echoed. He tried to focus on it, knowing the voice. Finally he moved his head and stared up at Zack's eyes. He was having difficulty breathing and didn't want his death to be seen by Zack. He tried to move his hand, but they were securely wrapped in a jacket.

He wet his lips and tried to form words, but his throat closed. He continued to attempt words until finally was able to grasp reality. "Zack," he whispered. His throat stung, and he wanted to vomit again. He hissed from the pain as Zack shifted his body to look down at him.

"Yeah, Cloud, we're getting you to the hospital. Hang in there."

Cloud wanted to do nothing but to follow Zack's request, but he felt his body failing. He didn't know how far they were from Shinra, but he didn't care. All he wanted to do was die telling Zack that he cared for him. He was finally able to figure out his feelings and come to grip with what they were. "I love you," he whispered. His vision blurred, and he closed his eyes, not seeing the shocked look in Zack's face. He calmed himself again and was dropped back into the peaceful fantasy he was in. He hoped that he'd remain there painlessly until he died.

Zack stared down at the blond soldier. He couldn't believe what he heard and thought he miss heard him. He didn't understand how Cloud could have developed feelings. He thought of Cloud as a best friend, younger brother, or at least that's what he thought. He wondered if he really thought of Cloud that way would he have came himself to retrieve the blond. He was sure he would, but then again he never thought of anyone romantically even though rumors said that he was a lady's man. He just got along with everyone. Brushing Cloud's hair to the side of his face, Zack glanced at his relaxed state. He grabbed the headset swinging to the side of him and placed them on his head. "Reno, how much longer?"

"I have the landing pad in my sights. The doctors are standing by. Why?"

"Cloud's getting worse. I think he's about ready to die. Hurry."

"Damnit. How high can you jump?"

"Why?"

"It's going to take time for me to land and for it to be safe enough for the doctors to approached the helicopter. I can get you as far down as ten feet."

"Fine. Tell me when."

"Roger that. Two minutes on my mark." Zack tucked Cloud into his arms and held him close. He glanced down at the roof below him. Right as Reno's voice echoed in his ears, he jumped out of the helicopter without any hesitation.

Landing hard on his knee, he rose quickly and put Cloud down on the stretcher. "He's been poisoned and severe blood loss." Zack followed the doctors into the building as they started to hook up some wires to Cloud's arms and chest. They shouted things to each other and continued to push Cloud into the nearest hospital room. One of the nurses stopped Zack from following as he stood there for a few minutes, watching the blond disappear behind the curtain. He sat down at the chair and watched Reno fly back towards the log cabin. He put his head in his hands and waited for the doctor to do what he could for Cloud. He prayed to every god he could think of that they would spare Cloud's life. The odds were against him, but Zack didn't care. He wanted Cloud to live so that he could figure out if he truly meant what he told him. Did the blond really love him, or was he thinking of someone else?

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Two more chapter two go. I'll have chapter four out tomorrow. Thank you for reading please review.

Angel Dove


	4. Chapter 4

Thank you for all your kind is the second to last chapter. I know it's a short story, but I couldn't think too much about a plot. Either way I'm happy that you are all still with me and enjoying the story. Thank you. Without further waiting, here is the next chapter.

Warnings: None

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Chapter Four

Zack sat next to Cloud, holding his hand firmly, but not tightly. It had been a week since Cloud arrived at the hospital. One week and the young man hadn't even made any sort of movements. Zack refused to leave the room. He had dark circles under his eyes. It was difficult falling asleep in the uncomfortable plastic chair and thoughts of Cloud waking while he was asleep plagued his thoughts. He ran his fingers down the blond's arm and stared at him. He was still pale from the blood loss and cleansing his body of the poison. Three of his fingers were splinted and the deep cuts on his back were healing nicely. The wound on his shoulder was causing problems. It still was infected and showed signs of healing slowly as if the poison was preventing Cloud's body from healing that part of him. There were bruising all over his body, but the ones that had the doctors concerned were the ones on his thighs and hips. They checked him for any signs of rape, thankfully that came back negative. That had the doctors baffled, leaving Cloud the only one with the answers to that question.

Zack sighed and leaned back against the chair. His thoughts were jumbled and anger still boiled in his blood as he remembered the night he brought Cloud in. The doctors were not hopeful of Cloud living. They said if he did survive he would have to go through physical therapy not to mention the mental damage the torture did on Cloud. They said that he may never be normal again. His survival rate was three percent that night. Unbeknownst to Zack, the doctors were waiting for Cloud's heart to stop, but the young soldier hung on. He continued to fight death the entire time the doctors were doing nothing for him. Sephiroth arrived an hour after Zack followed closely behind by Reno who looked extremely concerned. He glanced over at the obviously nervous SOLDIER. "Have they talked to you yet?" Zack shook his head.

Sephiroth walked over to the nurse's station and demanded to speak with one of the doctors. Being a general had its advantages. The doctor came out from Cloud's room and walked over to speak with Sephiroth . Zack wasn't sure what they were saying, but he knew that the silver haired man will tell him later. That was until Sephiroth's angry voice boom through the hospital, "You get in there and do anything you can think of to save him. Clearly he's not ready to die yet if he hasn't." The doctor scrambled off as Sephiroth turned his angry gaze back towards Zack. He took a deep breath and calmed down before walking over to his friend's student.

"What is going on?" Zack asked quickly, rising from his seat.

Sephiroth pushed him back down. "The doctors thought it would be in Cloud's best interest just to let him die peacefully." The general held up a finger, knowing that Zack would instantly interrupt him. "Let me finish. The poison has infected most of his vital organs they're shutting down, but it hasn't reached his heart yet. They're not sure if he'll be normal again if they cure the poison. He has two hours before the poison reaches his heart, and his heart will fail. They were going to make him comfortable and let him pass. If you think about it logically, it does sound like the best route for him. The mental damage not to mention the physical damage will take a long time to heal. He would need someone there to help him. Without the poison he's still in bad shape. He has lacerations on his back from what they conclude was a whip. Three broken fingers, severe blood loss, and bruising on all over his body." Sephiroth paused for a moment before continuing, debating on if he should tell Zack the last part, but knowing that the man would be angry at him if he didn't. "They also did a rape test on him. He has recent bruises on his inner thighs and hips. They're not sure if he was, but the results will be back in a few days, but I told them to have it back in a few hours. One day at the most. Are you okay?"

Sephiroth could see the fury building in the younger man's eyes. The only problem was finding out who he was more angry at. The doctors or the men that tortured Cloud. "Where is the one you brought back?"

"Tseng and Rude are escorting him to the prison cells. I'm going to interrogate him myself. No, you cannot speak to him prior." Sephiroth answered, knowing full well that if Zack went into that room, the man would look worse than Cloud. "Your orders are to remain here and wait for the doctors to let you in. Once they have Cloud stable, they are going to call you. They'll explain everything they did and let you stay in his room until Cloud wakes. I don't want you leaving the room for anything. I'll have the cafeteria send meals to you. There's a bathroom attached to his room. You protect Cloud. Have the doctors tell you every type of medication that they put inside of him. If they have a problem with that, you tell them to call me. Understood, soldier?"

Zack smiled. "Yes, sir." He knew deep down that Sephiroth wouldn't be able to get Zack to move from Cloud's room until the young man was fully healed.

He was grateful for everything that the general did for him. If it weren't for him, Cloud would be dead and on his way to his hometown. Zack hadn't seen Sephiroth since that night. He doesn't know what came about from the interrogation nor what that important document was. At that time, Zack didn't care. His only job was to protect Cloud from the killer doctors and be with him until he wakes, which he silently hoped Sephiroth would change that order. Zack wasn't going to abandon Cloud once he was out of danger of dying. He wanted to be the one helping Cloud every step of the way. Zack leaned down and place a kissed on Cloud's forehead. His skin was slightly warm, but not feverish anymore. Sweat no longer poured off his skin. His body was still fighting the infection. Glancing up at the time, he noticed that it was late enough to start his usual daily talk. He never wanted to be interrupted by doctors or nurses so he waited until midnight to start. That way he knew no one was going to rush into the room to administer medication.

"Hey, Cloud, I'm still here. It's day seven in case your curious on how long you've been here. The doctors said that the poison is completely out of you system. Your organs are healing nicely They stopped giving you the antidote today. That's another step closer to getting out of here. Your bruises are almost gone. They are still concerned about your shoulder wound. The infection isn't going away yet, but they said it's not as bad as it used to be. Keep fighting, Cloud. Your back is looking nice. No infections. They said in a few days they'll be nothing by scars. I know how you hate scars, but think about it this way the girls would love it."

Zack paused and glanced at the door. Even though he knew no one would be coming around, he still felt nervous talking about certain things. "About your confession on the helicopter. I'm not sure if the poison was making you see someone else or if you were confessing to me." Zack paused and stared at the sleeping man. He was confused on what he was feeling. He loved Cloud and wanted to do anything to protect him. That was what he thought was brotherly love. Now with Cloud's confession, he began to think that it was something more. Two days ago, he did concluded that he was in love with Cloud. Inside he didn't want to think of it too much incase Cloud wasn't really confessing to him. It was his only way of protecting himself from the rejection. "I wish you would wake up and tell me what you were thinking. I want to talk about this with you. I want to know who you were thinking about before you said those three words."

"You," a soft voice whispered, knocking Zack out of his rant.

"Cloud?" He glanced up and saw half closed blue eyes staring at him.

Cloud's hand flipped around and intertwined his fingers with Zack's. He cleared his dry throat and licked his lips before continuing. "Before the battle, I came to the conclusion that I loved you. I didn't want to die without telling you, but even after telling you I couldn't relax enough to die. Something inside of me told me you didn't understand. I was right. Is there water close by?"

Zack nodded and ran across the room to the bathroom sink. His heart was fluttering in his chest and he couldn't help thinking he was a boy again, declaring his love to his secret crush. He held the glass to Cloud's lips and supported his head high enough so the blond could drink as much as he wanted. "I'm glad you continued to fight, Cloud. I wanted you to know that I return the feelings. I'm not going to lie and tell you that I was attracted to you at first sight, but I felt a brotherly connection to you. A connection that was becoming stronger than simple brotherly love. I became obsessed with protecting you. I didn't realize what I felt until your confession and you were dying. I love you too, Cloud." The blond smiled before closing his eyes and drifting back to sleep. "Good night, love." Zack leaned up and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. His heart felt wonderful knowing Cloud's feelings.

He gently let go of the now sleeping man and walked out of the room, standing right by the door. He flipped the phone opened and dialed the one number he knew by heart. "This better be important to wake me up," Sephiroth's voice growled in the phone.

"I know you weren't sleeping."

"What is it? You know I'm only tolerating you until Angeal returns from his mission."

"Cloud awoke a few minutes ago."

"Did he say anything?"

"He answered my questions. He went right back to sleep. I don't even think he noticed that he was in the hospital."

"That's understandable. They have him on enough medication that it would make anyone confused. I'm delighted that Cloud woke for you, but I don't know why you were interrupting me."

"You said that I was to guard him until he woke up. I need my new orders, sir."

Sephiroth chuckled. "You are a puppy just like he said. Always eager for the next bone to be thrown. What would you do if I told you to return to your room and await the next mission?"

"Honestly, sir, I would disobey and await my next mission in Cloud's room and then ignore the mission."

The silver haired man shook his head and put the book down that he was reading. He knew that there was no separating Zack and Cloud now. He also knew that he could get in trouble with Shinra for not separating them. "Alright. Your next orders are to remain with the wounded soldier. Help him through all the therapy. He'll be living with you in your apartment until the doctors release him back to duty. Until then, you protect him and keep pushing him back to normal. Understood?"

"Yes, sir. And, sir, will this get you in trouble for this?" Zack knew Sephiroth was sticking his neck out to keep the two together.

"Don't worry about it. You just follow your orders and don't call me so late at night again."

Zack chuckled and hung the phone up. He knew his mentor was due to return in a few days. When he returned he had to remember to punch Angeal in the face. He couldn't believe that he told Sephiroth that he was like a puppy. He walked back into the room and sat back down in the chair. Cloud was sleeping deeply, but now Zack knew he was going to be fine since he woke up the first time. He went back to holding Cloud's hand. His body was delighted that he wouldn't have to leave Cloud's side. Slowly he felt fatigue kicking in. He knew that he wasn't going to last much longer before he was snoring beside the blond. He put his head down and fell to sleep instantly.

The next morning he awoke to the doctors fussing over Cloud, who was trying to hush them so they wouldn't wake Zack. They were checking his vitals, asking him countless questions, and reapplying the bandages around his shoulder. "Will you stop until later? I don't want to wake him," Cloud hissed.

Zack smiled and lifted his head. "It's okay. I'm awake."

Cloud glared at the doctors. "Are you done? Get out of here."

Zack patted Cloud's hand. "Easy. They're only trying to help you."

"Oh are they? Then how come the first doctor came in and said that he should have not listened to General Sephiroth's orders and let me die!"

Zack blinked and looked up at the doctors. "Everyone out. Now." Fury blazed in the SOLDIER's eyes. He couldn't believe that they would say that. The nurses and doctors ran out of the room as Zack looked down at Cloud.

"Is that true? Where they going to let me die until General Sephiroth intervened?"

"Yes. I was ordered to stand guard until you awoke. Sephiroth was furious with them."

"Maybe I should have died. Apparently that's Shinra's way of doing things. They set people up to die and then go hire new blood to replace anyone. We were suppose to be there protecting the establishment from bandits and creatures. No where in the orders did it say assassins, torture, or delicate information being hidden there. All those people were killed for no good reason. The general ordered us there to be slaughtered." Cloud was angry. He had the greatest respect for Sephiroth, but now it felt like nothing but a fantasy.

"That's not true. Sephiroth hated sending you up there. Shinra gave him no choice. We had orders not to search for you. Our orders were to retrieve the documents and bring them back to Shinra. Sephiroth disobeyed and searched for you with me. It was his resources that helped us find you. Sephiroth thought they were sending three SOLDIERs and two Turks along with the army. You should have seen his eyes when he noticed that only one SOLDIER was there. Cloud, please calm down. You're not fully healed yet."

Cloud leaned back against the bed and stared at Zack. The gentleness in his eyes melted the burning anger inside of him. "He was going to have his way with me."

"What?"

Cloud stared down at his legs. "He had my pants off and was about to when his partner came in and told him to stop. He said that it would be too much evidence on my body linking it to them if they managed to find me. They were going to let me die. They knew I had no information for them."

Zack rose from his chair and pulled Cloud into his arms. The blond hissed from the pain, but other than that let the raven haired man hold him. The two sat like that for hours. Cloud was realizing how close he came to death. He told Zack about everything. How he fought, cried, and wanted to die. How he hoped that Zack would make it there on time. By the time he was done talking, Cloud exhausted himself enough to let the doctors back in to finish redressing his shoulder and adding another bag of antibiotics and pain relievers. Zack watched Cloud fight the fatigue, but he knew that there was no way Cloud could win that battle. Once Cloud was asleep, Zack walked over to the large window. He stared out of it. For the first time in over a week, he regretted killed that man. He should have kept him alive so he could torture him to death. He knew that this was going to be a long road to recovery for the blond, but he had no intentions of leaving him.

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One more chapter to go. It'll be a shorter one and I'll have it up tomorrow. Thank you for reading please review.

Angel Dove


	5. Chapter 5

I want to take this time to thank everyone that stuck with me to the end. I can't believe I finally finished this story. It was going to be a lost story, and I nearly gave up on it. Thank you all again for your kind reviews. And now it's time for the final chapter. It's smaller than the others, but it's technically like one of those bonus chapters LOL

Warnings: Yaoi (Male on Male sex if this bothers you please don't read this chapter at all)

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Chapter Five

It had been one year since Cloud was tortured. One year since Zack was ordered to help Cloud through his therapies. In that short amount of time, their feelings for each other skyrocketed. When they first moved in together, Zack slept on the couch while Cloud was on the bed. Slowly as the months moved on and Cloud became mentally more stable, the two decided to share the bed. The scars on Cloud's back never fully healed. Today marked the day that Cloud's shoulder was finally as strong as the other one. Zack smiled happily from his chair. He watched the doctor performing all the tests. Cloud had a beautiful smile on his face as he pushed against the device to test his strength. Zack laughed when the blond ignored the doctor's orders to stop. He knew his lover was thrilled to have his strength back. That left the last dreadful thought in Zack's mind. Today was the day that the doctors were finally releasing Cloud back to active duty. He wondered how difficult it would be to see Cloud. He knew that the infantryman would have to return to his bunk while Zack would have to learn to live by himself again, and their time would be limited like before.

He hadn't talked to Sephiroth to much since being ordered to stay by Cloud's side. Zack knew that the general couldn't protect him forever. For at least one night, Zack wanted to make Cloud truly happy before returning to his training. The doctor handed Cloud his release papers and for the first time, he saw Cloud frown. The blond knew that he would have to return to his own bunk after the paperwork was processed. Zack stood and waited for Cloud to come out through the glass doors. He handed the raven haired man the papers. "I'm cleared for duty as of tomorrow," Cloud mumbled.

Zack pushed the up arrow to the elevator and waited for it so they can return to his apartment. "I guess we'll have to make the most of tonight because our time would be limited from now on."

Cloud's face lit up. "We'll still be able to see each other?"

"Of course. It'll be like before. Except you wouldn't be coming to my apartment on your free time for hamburgers and comedy shows," Zack whispered in Cloud's ear as they entered the elevator.

Cloud's face turned beat red. He didn't want to kiss Zack right there for fear that Shinra would have cameras in the elevator. No one knew about their secret relationship. Not even Angeal who knew everything about Zack. They moved quickly down the hallway obviously both eager to get into the apartment. It wouldn't be the first time they had sex together, but it was thrilling each time.

Once inside, Zack pushed Cloud against the door, devouring his lips with his own as his fingers locked the door. The blond smiled and pushed Zack away, pulling him into the living room. "Oh no, I get control this time. You had it last time."

Zack chuckled as he reached for his lover. Cloud smacked his hand away and straddled Zack's waist, kissing him deeply while he worked the shirt off the taller man. They broke only for an instant so Cloud could get Zack's shirt off.

They were about to start again when Zack's phone rang. Groaning he reached for it and looked at the caller ID. "It's Sephiroth. Hang on." Zack answered the phone, grumpy that his erection had to wait. "Yes, sir."

"I just received papers saying that Cloud is released for duty starting tomorrow. What is your opinion?"

Cloud smirked as he backed away from Zack and began to slowly and seductively strip the clothes off himself. Zack bit back a moan as he watched Cloud lick his finger and bring it to his nipple, slowly teasing himself. "He did really well with his tests today. I think he's ready, though I wouldn't mind waiting until the end of the week to move him back to the bunk."

Cloud turned around and wiggled the boxers off himself, revealing the creamy buttock to Zack. His eyes glazed over, and he barely missed the next question. "Who said anything about returning him to his bunk? I have a request from Cadet Strife saying that he wishes to continue his training with you as his teacher."

Zack smiled. "Really, sir. That's great. I'd love to be his teacher."

Cloud laughed and dropped to his knees. He slowly crawled over to Zack and parted his legs. Zack released a moan by mistake. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just sat down after doing my squats while I waited for Cloud to finish with his therapy session."

"Is that so? I set up a new apartment for Cloud. His should be promoted to second class by the end of the week." Cloud unzipped Zack's pants and pulled his member out. He licked the head as Zack bit down on his lip. He glared at Cloud who innocently concentrated on the task. "Zack? Are you listening?"

"Yes, sir. Which apartment?" Cloud was making it extremely difficult for Zack to speak.

"Same floor. Room 407. I expected him to be moved in by the end of the week, and I want a training program submitted by no later than Monday. Understood?"

Cloud continued to lick Zack's erection. "Understood, sir. Thank you. Is there any other orders?"

Sephiroth smirked. He knew something was happening between those two. Angeal and him came to the same conclusion. He must have interrupted them. "Yes, Commander Fair."

Zack closed the phone and stared down at the devilish face Cloud had. "You need to be punished. That was not nice." He pulled Cloud up and lied him face down over his legs. He spanked him several times. Cloud moan, and he harden more. He enjoyed the stinging pain and craved for Zack. He pushed Cloud on the floor and removed his pants before facing Cloud's legs and pulling his member into his mouth. Cloud moaned and angled himself so he could suck on Zack's. The two continued to have a contest over who explodes first. Zack hummed and placed his finger into Cloud entrance. Cloud released Zack and moaned. He was so close to an organism when Zack pulled away and turned around. He kissed Cloud deeply tasting himself on his lips, knowing that Cloud could taste his own essence.

He reached down and continued to finger Cloud, watching his face as he breathed deeply. He pushed two fingers in until he brushed against his lover's prostate. Cloud gasped and moaned. Shivers ran through is body. "Take me, Zack. Don't tease me."

Zack smiled as he continued fingering Cloud until he was sure the man was stretched. He moved quickly between Cloud's legs and pushed inside of him. The heat and tightness of his lover caused him to moan. He leaned up and kissed him, waiting patiently for his lover to adjust. No matter how many times they had sex, Cloud was always tight. He started at a slow pace, enjoying the deep kiss and the slight friction between their bodies. They moved in harmony, Cloud matching pace with Zack. Cloud loved the man above him. Loved their time together. Loved this bliss he experienced. Everything fell together and that's all that mattered.

Zack moved his hand from beside Cloud and grasp his member, pumping it in time with his thrusts. He could feel the end coming. Cloud panted and red spread across his cheeks. He could tell his lover wasn't going to hold out much longer. After a few more thrusts, those both released. Zack pulled out of Cloud and collapsed next to him on the floor. Cloud laughed. "Next time we should do it in the kitchen."

Taken my shock, Zack glanced over at his lover. "Why?"

"That's officially the last place we haven't had sex in."

He laughed and kissed the blond. "We can always have round two there. Then round three in your new bedroom." Cloud stared at him. "Sephiroth approved your request for me as your teacher. I'm touched that you would do that. You're going to be promoted to second class. Your apartment is down the hall."

Cloud smiled. "I didn't want to be separated from you. You have plenty more to teach me in more areas than one."

Zack pulled his lover close. "I love you, Cloud."

"I love you, too." Cloud sighed into Zack's warm embrace and laughed when he felt something poke his thigh. He knew his lover recovered quickly. "I'll meet you in the kitchen." Cloud got up and ran into the kitchen, leaping on the counter that separated it from the living room. He pulled his leg up, giving Zack complete view of his own throbbing member. Zack smirked and went right for his lover. Kissing him deeply while he pressed his body against Cloud's warm skin. He loved this man more than he could ever say or express. He would die for him and not think twice about it.

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I know it's short and you probably all would want to know what round two was like but I'll leave that to your own imagination. Thank you for sticking with me until the end. I don't know what my next story would be, but I'm obviously addicted to Jou and Kaiba from Yu-gi-oh fics. I've been writing them more than I wrote any other story. Please Review

Angel Dove


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